LaTeX to PDF - n8n Community Node

A powerful n8n community node that converts LaTeX documents to PDF files with support for multiple engines, custom packages, and advanced features.

Features

• ✅ Convert LaTeX text to PDF
• ✅ Convert LaTeX files to PDF
• ✅ Multiple LaTeX engines (pdflatex, xelatex, lualatex)
• ✅ Multiple compilation passes for complex documents
• ✅ Custom fonts and input directories support
• ✅ Comprehensive error handling with helpful suggestions
• ✅ Support for bibliographies, cross-references, and complex formatting
• ✅ Binary data handling for inputs and outputs

Prerequisites

⚠️ LaTeX must be installed on your system before using this node.

Installation by Platform

macOS:

# Option 1: MacTeX (recommended - full installation)
brew install --cask mactex-no-gui

# Option 2: BasicTeX (minimal installation)
brew install --cask basictex
sudo tlmgr update --self
sudo tlmgr install collection-fontsrecommended

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install texlive-full

Linux (CentOS/RHEL):

sudo yum install texlive-scheme-full

Windows:

• Download and install MiKTeX (recommended)
• Or download TeX Live

Verify Installation

pdflatex --version
tlmgr --version  # Package manager

Installation

Option 1: Community Nodes (Recommended)

1. Open your n8n instance
2. Go to Settings → Community Nodes
3. Install package: n8n-nodes-pdf-latex
4. Restart n8n

Option 2: Manual Installation

cd ~/.n8n/nodes
npm install n8n-nodes-pdf-latex

Usage

Basic Usage

1. Add LaTeX to PDF node to your workflow
2. Configure input:
   • Input Type: "Text" for direct LaTeX or "Binary Property" for files
   • LaTeX Content: Your LaTeX document content
   • Output Property Name: Name for generated PDF (default: "data")
3. Execute workflow

Input Types

Text Input (Direct LaTeX)

Paste your LaTeX content directly into the node:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{geometry}
\usepackage{graphicx}

\title{My Document}
\author{Your Name}
\date{\today}

\begin{document}
\maketitle

\section{Introduction}
Hello World! This is my LaTeX document with \textbf{bold text} and \textit{italic text}.

\subsection{Features}
\begin{itemize}
    \item Easy LaTeX to PDF conversion
    \item Multiple engine support
    \item Custom fonts and directories
\end{itemize}

\end{document}

Binary Input (LaTeX Files)

Use LaTeX files from previous nodes (File Trigger, HTTP Request, etc.)

Advanced Examples

Document with Images

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{graphicx}

\begin{document}
\title{Document with Images}
\maketitle

\section{Logo}
\includegraphics[width=5cm]{logo.png}

\section{Chart}
\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{chart.pdf}

\end{document}

Note: Set "Inputs Directory" to folder containing images

Bibliography Example

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[backend=biber]{biblatex}
\addbibresource{references.bib}

\begin{document}
\title{Research Paper}
\maketitle

\section{Introduction}
According to recent studies \cite{smith2023}.

\printbibliography
\end{document}

Note: Set "Number of Passes" to 2 or 3 for bibliographies

Configuration Options

LaTeX Engines

Engine	Best For	Features
pdflatex	Standard documents	Fast, reliable, good package support
xelatex	Unicode, custom fonts	Modern fonts, Unicode support
lualatex	Advanced typography	Lua scripting, advanced features

Compilation Passes

• 1 Pass: Simple documents without cross-references
• 2 Passes: Documents with table of contents, cross-references
• 3 Passes: Documents with bibliographies, complex references

Directory Options

• Inputs Directory: Path to folder containing:
  • Images (PNG, JPG, PDF)
  • Include files (.tex)
  • Custom class files (.cls)
  • Style files (.sty)
• Fonts Directory: Path to custom font files (TTF, OTF)

Output

The node provides:

• JSON Data: Success status, filename, file size, MIME type
• Binary Data: Generated PDF file ready for download or further processing

Example output:

{
  "success": true,
  "filename": "document-20240120-143022.pdf",
  "mimeType": "application/pdf",
  "fileSize": 156789
}

Common Use Cases

1. Report Generation

Generate PDF reports from data:

// Previous node processes data
const data = $input.all();
const latexContent = `
\\documentclass{article}
\\begin{document}
\\title{Sales Report}
\\maketitle
\\section{Summary}
Total Sales: $${data.totalSales}
\\end{document}
`;

2. Invoice Generation

Create professional invoices:

\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\usepackage{geometry}
\geometry{margin=1in}

\begin{document}
\begin{center}
{\LARGE Invoice \#12345}
\end{center}

\section*{Bill To:}
Customer Name\\
Address

\section*{Items:}
\begin{tabular}{|l|r|r|}
\hline
Description & Quantity & Price \\
\hline
Service A & 2 & \$50.00 \\
Service B & 1 & \$75.00 \\
\hline
\textbf{Total} & & \textbf{\$175.00} \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{document}

3. Academic Papers

Research documents with citations:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[backend=biber,style=apa]{biblatex}
\addbibresource{references.bib}

\begin{document}
\title{Research Title}
\author{Author Name}
\maketitle

\section{Literature Review}
Previous work by \textcite{author2023} shows...

\printbibliography
\end{document}

Troubleshooting

LaTeX Installation Issues

Error: spawn pdflatex ENOENT

• Install LaTeX on your system
• Ensure LaTeX is in your system PATH
• Restart n8n after installing LaTeX

Package not found errors:

# Install missing packages
sudo tlmgr install package-name

# Update package database
sudo tlmgr update --self --all

Compilation Errors

Undefined control sequence:

• Check LaTeX syntax
• Ensure required packages are loaded with \usepackage{}
• Verify command spelling

File not found:

• Use "Inputs Directory" parameter
• Ensure file paths are relative to inputs directory
• Check file permissions

TeX capacity exceeded:

• Usually indicates infinite loops in LaTeX code
• Check \newcommand definitions
• Simplify complex nested structures

Common Package Issues

Missing adjustwidth:
Use \usepackage{changepage} instead of \usepackage{adjustwidth}

Font issues with xelatex/lualatex:

• Specify fonts directory
• Use system fonts: \setmainfont{Arial}
• Install additional font packages

Bibliography not showing:

• Set "Number of Passes" to 2-3
• Ensure .bib file is in inputs directory
• Use correct citation commands

Performance Tips

• Use pdflatex for fastest compilation
• Minimize the number of passes when possible
• Keep images optimized (reasonable file sizes)
• Use relative paths in LaTeX documents
• Cache compiled documents when possible

License

MIT License

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Made with ❤️ for the n8n community